It has taken a bit longer, but the third album of Excalion is out. ‘High Time’ was written after a time of reflection. After the first two albums – these were received well – they had the feeling that there was nothing to strive for with this band anymore. They decided to think properly about the upcoming plans and took a break. In the beginning of 2009, the batteries were recharged again and the Finnish band started writing new songs, in the same line-up as the one of previous album ‘Waterlines’ (2007).

Excalion has never disappointed me. Their melodic power metal with slightly progressive influences is agreeable stuff to listen to, again on ‘High Time’. Catchy metal with excellent finger-blistering guitar skills of Vesa Nupponen and modern keyboard layers of co-founder Jarmo Myllyvirta to add an epic tinge to the entire sound. In the past it happened that I did not like the high-shrieked vocals of Jarmo Pääkkönen so much, but he is getting better on every record. Especially in the sensitive, lofty parts he is doing a great job. Excalion pleases me the least in a wilder song like ‘Bring On The Storm’. Vocals are too forced and exaggerated then. On the other hand the speedy occluding track ‘Foreversong’ is very good. They remain within the standards of the genre, yet they make a tasty and even quite varied thing of it. Next to accessible power metal tracks such as ‘From Somewhere To Anywhere’ and ‘Quicksilver’, it is especially the oriental flavoured ‘Sun Stones’ that leaps to the eye in a positive manner. The emotional sung ‘The Flags In Line’ shows the wide range of Jarmo’s voice and the contemplative vocal parts in ‘The Shroud’ and ‘A Walk On A Broken Road’ (magnificent song!) are also beautiful. It is nothing new, it sounds immediately familiar and accessible, but it is done with true spirit. Fans of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica can buy ‘High Time’ blindly.